While the Meta Quest 2 has built-in speakers, they’re ultimately designed for convenience, not quality. You can plug in any 3.5mm headphones — or some USB-C headphones — but most headphone cords are too long and annoyingly dangle from the headset. Annoyingly enough, Bluetooth earbuds won’t work in VR because of Bluetooth’s inherent latency, a problem that could actually cause motion sickness for some folks.
Thankfully, the best Quest 2 headphones and earbuds all offer tons of different form factors, quality sound, and come in many different price ranges. No matter if you just want a slim pair of earbuds or an entire headset replacement, we’ve collected the best headphones and earbuds for the Oculus Quest 2 (opens in new tab).
Why you can trust Android Central
Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.
I’ve been using the Soundcore VR P10 wireless earbuds since their release in Fall 2022 and still can’t believe how good they are. While these are the only wireless earbuds that actually work with Meta Quest headsets, they would still feel like the best option even with proper competition.
Soundcore is known for affordable earbuds and headphones that deliver quality sound for the price, and the Soundcore VR P10 earbuds are no exception. These earbuds deliver excellent overall quality with deep bass, great clarity, and sound quality that’s better than most earbuds in this price range. That being said, $80 is still quite a bit more expensive than a cheap pair of wired earbuds from Logitech.
But $80 isn’t expensive for a pair of wireless earbuds and these don’t just work for the Meta Quest 2. They’ll work on any device with a USB Type-C port. That’s because the earbuds are actually already paired with the USB Type-C dongle included in the case.
Image 1 of 5
All you need to do is plug in the dongle to a USB Type-C port on any device — whether that’s a Quest 2, a laptop, or a smartphone — and pop those earbuds in your ears. They’ll instantly pair with the dongle and you’ll be greeted with full, beautiful sound right away without having to deal with Bluetooth pairing or anything like that.
Want to know what’s even better than that? Soundcore really put some thought into this product and, as a result, the USB-C dongle also has a USB-C plug on the outside. That means you can still play and charge your Quest 2 while this dongle is installed. Now that’s impressive engineering!
As is the case with most wireless earbuds, these charge in the case, and that case charges via a USB-C port to keep things easy. If you’re looking for the best earbuds for the Quest 2, look no further. It literally doesn’t get more bespoke or better than Soundcore VR P10.
If you just got a Quest 2 and are still using the cloth straps that came with it — or you haven’t picked up one of the best Quest 2 head straps (opens in new tab) yet — then it’s time to take a look at Kiwi Design’s latest invention.
The Kiwi Design Comfort Battery Audio Strap for Meta Quest 2 is a mouthful of a name that fits everything you need into one Elite-style head strap. It’s got a giant battery on the back, strong, easily adjustable straps on the sides, and ultra-comfortable on-ear headphones built in.
Like other head strap replacements, you’ll pop the old one off and snap the new one on the “arms” of the Quest 2. Since this one has everything built in, you’ll also use the pre-installed cables to plug into the USB-C and 3.5mm ports on your Quest 2.
Image 1 of 5
After that, your headset will be an all-in-one powerhouse for as long as you’d like to game. Kiwi’s headphones are of the highest on-ear quality and are extraordinarily similar to the HTC Vive Deluxe Audio Strap, a previous recommendation here. The difference is that, unlike that strap, this one is made for the Quest 2 and doesn’t require any weird modifications to make it work.
Like Kiwi Design’s other head straps, this one is covered in pads that are all removable via velcro straps and can be easily cleaned. That’s great for when you’re sharing a headset with someone else or just had a particularly sweaty VR session.
The strap is adjustable via the wheel in the back and is easy as pie to turn. The built-in battery on the back was sourced by Amprius in the U.S., which means it’s an extra high-quality battery that you can feel safe having attached to your head.
Looking for great audio and longer play sessions? This one’s more expensive than other products on the list but that’s because it covers the gamut of everything you’d probably ever want to add on to the Quest 2.
Many VR fans prefer over-ear to in-ear headphones for VR for enveloping sound, but action or exercise games really benefit from letting your ears breathe. So we’ve chosen the Logitech G333s — designed specifically for the Quest 2 — as the best wired earbuds.
These earphones offer solid audio performance for a lower price than most hardcore headphones and mods. They’re also easier to take out quickly when you need to talk to someone in the room.
It comes with velcro straps to attach the cables to your Quest 2 straps, plus three different bud sizes to fit inside your ears. The Logitech G333 VR has 5.8 mm and 9.2 mm drivers per bud, a 20 Hz ~ 20 kHz frequency response, and sensitivity of 101.6±3 dB @ 1 kHz SPL. Make sure to buy the VR version of the Logitech G333, which uses custom-length 3.5mm cables, so the bud nearest the jack is shorter than the other.
In practice, these compact buds have the internals to hit the highs, mids, and bass necessary to live up to your game’s audio potential. Plus, they support low-latency performance, so you’ll have no lag between what you see and hear.
Another official Oculus accessory from Logitech, the G PRO Gaming Headset comes with a custom-length 10-inch cable that travels from the left earpad to the 3.5mm jack with little wasted length. While it doesn’t have ANC, it gives you passive noise cancellation thanks to its large, comfortable earpads. And its memory foam leatherette headband makes it a comfortable fit on top of your Quest 2 straps.
The Logitech G Pro headset will better suit you if you prefer to block out the outside world entirely. It costs twice as much as the G333 VR at full price, but it also can double as your PC or console gaming headset, giving it more value. In the box, it comes with a detachable mic with a pop filter, a longer cable with inline volume and mute, a PC splitter for separate mic and headphone jacks, and a USB external sound card.
As for audio performance, you get 50mm drivers for louder sound, 20 Hz-20 kHz frequency, 35-ohm impedance, and sensitivity of 91.7 dB SPL @ 1 mW & 1 cm. No matter which of the best Oculus Quest 2 games you own, this headset will create the sounds necessary to immerse you fully in that virtual world.
Most official Meta Quest 2 headphones can cost a pretty penny in exchange for great performance and a unique cord design; these budget Quest 2 earbuds from Kiwi are the exception. Instead, they cost around half of the Logitech G333s, with a long cord to ensure the right bud can reach across the headset without the left bud dangling too much.
The Kiwi headphones ship in black or white and offer different-sized caps, aiding comfort. With 10mm drivers, 20 Hz-20 kHz frequency, and 108db±4db sensitivity, these won’t give you high-quality audio performance (which shouldn’t be expected at this price). However, Quest 2 accessories get expensive, and if you need to reduce audio bleed from your headset but don’t want to spend a ton, these are a great way to save some money and slightly improve on the built-in audio.
The price of Quest 2 headphones can become especially costly if you can’t use them for anything besides VR. You can get better specs by buying some standard over-ear headphones with a 3.5mm jack and cable, but the long cable will undoubtedly bounce against you as you move around. There is an alternative solution: buy a shorter 3.5mm cable.
While it doesn’t need to be any particular cable, the Seadream cable is cheap, gives you a backup, and gets good reviews. The main thing is to make sure it’s the correct length for you. First, check whether your favorite headphones have the 3.5mm port on the right or left ear. Then check how far it is from that port to the port on the left side of the Quest 2. A foot-long cable should hopefully give you enough length to work.
Which headphones should you buy to use with this cable? Check our lists of the best cheap noise-cancelling headphones to submerge yourself in your VR world; the best aptX Low Latency headphones to ensure your video and audio align, or the best affordable wireless headphones overall. Again, make sure whatever you pick has a 3.5mm port, pair it with a short cable, and you’re all set!
Koss Porta Pro headphones are one of the most popular models for VR enthusiasts for a reason. They’re affordable, relatively easy to cut and solder, and recreate the sound and feel of the Oculus Rift CV1. Unfortunately, they’re tricky to install on the Quest 2 for several reasons, but if you have a 3D printer, you can use one of these Thingiverse designs to create adapters for clipping them to your headset.
That said, many people don’t have a 3D printer or the confidence to try difficult modding. Enter the site EngineeredAF: its VR enthusiast site runner does the work for you, combining the KPP headphones with 3D printed parts into attachable headphones that rest by your ears and produce great sound.
Compared to some alternative options, these are made to order. It takes a couple of weeks to ship them and can get pretty expensive (though not as expensive as other picks on this list). It will also only work with the Elite Strap or 3rd-party straps with rigid sides — no default or cloth straps allowed. Despite all that, plenty of VR veterans will enjoy these compared to more standard headphones.
When you’ve got a wireless VR headset, there’s no sense in adding needless wires to the experience. That’s one of the many reasons we prefer the Soundcore VR P10 earbuds to anything else on this list. They give you the freedom of being wireless without the lag of Bluetooth audio. They also work with any device that has a USB-C port thanks to the included dongle.
With that being said, the Meta Quest 2 can technically work with any 3.5mm-enabled headphones and its library of games but a dangling cord repeatedly tapping against you as you dodge obstacles in Beat Saber or do squats in Supernatural can take you out of the immersive experience.
Of course, you can convert your headphones with a short 3.5mm cable, but if you use those for other tasks, you may find it annoying to swap cables repeatedly. So it’s very nice to have dedicated Quest 2 headphones that you can strap and leave there, sitting at the ready.
